Grinding machine



June 21, 1932. w, J KENT 1,864,071

GRINDING MACHINE Filed Oct. 28, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet l .June 21, 1932. w J KENT GRINDING MACHINE Filed Oct. 28, 1927 2 Sheets-Shee t 2 Hana -as Y! I i 4/ ml! 8.

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AT RNEY Patented June 21, 1932 UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM J'. KENT, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGN OR TO THE ,MECHANICAL RUBBER COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY GRINDING MACHINE Application filed October 28, 1927. Serial No. 229,320.

This invention relates to a deviceforgrinding articles. More particularly it relates to a device for grinding flexible sheet material to an accurate thickness.

In the operation of forming tiling out of rubber composition, it is customaryto .vulcan f A as follows: An arm 5 pr0 ects rigidly from ize the'rubber composition into the formof slabs of the approximate size required in the finished article. i canization step, one face ofthe slab is pro:

Vided with a polished surface. It. is neces.

sary to buff the opposite face of the slab to form a tile of accurate and uniform thickness so that when the tiles are assembled in abutjting relation as afloor or wall covering, they will present a smooth and even surface; In grinding machines customarily used, it has not been possible to securely hold flexible sheet material such as tiles and accurately V .Fig. 3) upon one side thereof, which are 2 rind it to uniform thickness.

It is an object of this, invention to provide a device for grinding flexible articles to a uniform and accurate thlckness. It is a further object to provide means, for. positively ;;securing throughout its extent, flexible sheet material to be ground. Other objectswill be apparent from the specification and accompanying drawings, in which latter: Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the device;

device comprises, in its preferred embodiment, a circular grinding wheel 1 made of sand stone or other abrasivematerialand hav- I ing a smooth operating face unbroken throughoutits extent, all-portionsof which As aresult of the vul face lie. in the same plane. The grinding wheel is mounted upon the shaft 2 which is rotatably carried in the frame 3 and driven by the belt 4.

Means for supporting and applying the work to the surface of the grinding wheel are the, frame 3 and rotatably carries a support 6. A bracket 7 is mounted upon the support 6 V and is adjustable vertically and held in adj usted position by means of bolts 8 which extend through an elongated slot in the bracket. The bracket 7 carries an .adjusting block 9 pivotally therein, the adjustment being locked by means of the bolt 10 which engages with the slot 11 of block 9. A support 12 is slidably mounted upon the adjusting block by means of a dovetail connection therewith. The support 12 is provided with teeth 13 (see adapted to be engaged by the corresponding teeth of a gear 14. Gear 14 is carried by a pintle] 15 extending through the adjusting block 9 and is actuated by a hand lever 16 to movethe support 12 longitudinallv with respect to'the block 9. This movement is limjusting block 9. A second set screw 18, po-

sitioned in the support 12, is adapted to bear against the set screw 17 to clock the adjustment thereof. A head 19 bearing a per- I forated holding plate 20, is supported for adjustable movement longitudinally upon the support 12, being secured in place by means of bolts 21, the heads of which have slidable engagementinslots 22in the support 12. A set screw 23 isadapted; to lock the adjustment. Suction is applied to, the perforated plate 20 by means of a flexible conduit 24 which is connected to a suitabie source of suction, not shown. Theslab or other article is secured to the face of, the plate 20 throughout practically its entire extent by means of the suction applied through the perforations. Ribs 25 projecting from the surface of the plate, serve as guides for postioning the slab upon the plate, and also function to prevent the article from being swept from the surface of the plate during the grinding operation. Dust is removed from the edge of the plate by means of a trough 26, which has fluid communication with the conduit 24L by means of the conduit 27, thereby applying suction to the trough.

The work feed mechanism is maintained in substantially vertical position in alignment with the grinding wheel 1 by means of a balance weight 28 which is rigidly supported from the supports 6. A hand lever 30 is also rigidly aflixed to the support 6. A guard casing 31 surrounds the grinding wheel 1 and is provided with an openingof sufficient size to admit'of the application of the work to the wheel; Suction conduits 32 and 33 lead from the guard casing 31 to a source of suction, not shown, and operate to conduct dust formed by the grinding operation away from the machine.

In operating the device, the adjusting block 9 is positioned so that the face of the plate 20 supported thereby lies in a plane parallel with the surface of the grinding wheel. The set screw 17 is'so adjusted that the plate 20 when fed forwardly remains spaced from the surface ofthe grinding wheel a distance equal to the thickness required in the completed article. The grinding wheel is rotated. The tile, or other material, is applied to the surface of the plate 20 and suction is exerted thereon, securing the same in place. The feeding mechanism is passed to a position opposite the grinding wheel and the lever 16 is actuated, forcing the plate 20 with the material carried thereby against the abrasive surface of the wheel where it is ground to a uniform thickness.

While the invention has been particularly described as applied to a device for grinding articles of rubber composition, it will be understood that various other articles can be used in this machine and the claims are to be so understood.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. A machine for grinding sheet material comprising grinding means, means for actuating the same, holding means for the sheet material, means for relatively moving the grinding means and holding means whereby the sheet material is contacted with the grinding means, and means carried by the holding means for removing the products of abrasion from the edge of the sheet material.

2. A machine for grinding sheet material comprising grinding means, means for actuating the same, a support having a face against which the sheet material is adapted to be positioned, means whereby the sheet material can be secured to the face, means ;ing wheel, means for relatively moving said support and grinding wheel whereby to present said material to the wheel in grinding relation or withdraw it therefrom, and means connected to said evacuating means adapted to remove the products of abrasion.

4. A'machine for grinding sheet material, comprising a support having a suction area, guides associated with said support and arranged to engage said sheet material, evacuating means cooperating with said suction area to hold said material to the support, a grinding wheel, and means for relatively moving said support and grinding wheel whereby to present said material to the wheel in grinding relation or withdraw it from said wheel.

5. A machine for grinding sheet material, comprising a support having a suction face, avacuating means cooperating with said face to hold said material to the support, guides associated with said face arranged to engage and hold said sheet material in grinding position, a grinding wheel, means for relatively moving said support and grinding wheel whereby to present said material to the wheel in grinding relation or with-- draw it therefrom, and means connected to said evacuating means adapted to remove the products of abrasion.

6. A machine for grinding sheet material, comprising a support having a suction face, evacuating means cooperating with said face to hold said material thereto, a grinding wheel, means for relatively moving said support and grinding wheel whereby said material is brought into and outof grinding relation with said wheel, means associated with said face and connected with said evacuating means, adapted to remove the abraded material from said face, a guardcasing around said grinding wheel, and an evacuating line connected to the guardcasmg.

7. A machine for grinding sheet material, comprising a support including a suction face in the form of a plate having openings 'therethrough, guides carried by. saidplate and arranged to engage said sheet material to hold the same in grinding position, evacuating means connected to said openings to hold said sheet material against said face, a grinding Wheel, means for relatively moving said supoprt and grinding Wheel Where- I by the material is engaged with the grinding Wheel or Withdrawn therefrom, a trough carried by said support adjacent said face and connected to said evacuating means, a guard-casing around said grinding Wheel, and an evacuating line connected to the guard-casing.

Signed at Cleveland, county of Cuyahoga, State of Ohio, this 25th day of October, 1927.

WILLIAM J. KENT. 

